


By the Barrel of A Gun

by Morrigan_Healy



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2018-07-01
Packaged: 2019-05-31 22:55:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15129527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morrigan_Healy/pseuds/Morrigan_Healy
Summary: Oneshot collection for Walking Dead.





	1. No Better Way to Spend The Morning

No Better Way to Spend The Morning

Lori was taking a shower. She finally got home, and for once Carl was out with a friend, leaving the house quiet, allowing her to have some time to relax. Just as the water got hot, and she leaned back to wash her hair, she heard the back door slam shut.

"Honey I'm home!" Called Rick's voice from the kitchen.

"In the shower!" She called back, annoyed. Leave it to him to ruin a peaceful moment.

"Can I come in? I'm gonna wash my face and shave…then after you're done you want to go out?" He called from outside the door. She grinned.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Door's unlocked!"

A few seconds later she heard him walk in. She heard something hit the linoleum floor with a light 'swish', it most likely was his shirt. As he turned the sink on, she yelped.

"BABY! In the shower!" she reminded him, causing him to laugh, "Oops. Sorry honey."

"You better be." As he adjusted the tap, she smiled, and grabbed her bottle of shampoo. She and Rick had the same routines; he would shave in the mornings, while she washed her hair. It worked out pretty well. As Lori went to comb hair with her fingers, she gave a soft yelp every few seconds.

"Ow! Trying this again….ow! Okay.." she sighed.

"What's wrong with you?" Rick asked, laughing.

"My hair…it's…ow! Snagged. Can you grab the brush that's on the sink? Should be on the left side." She said. He smiled, looking for it. Rick found it, right where were Lori said it would be. But would he give it to her? No, that'd it be too easy. Taking the brush, he picked it up and put it on the other side of the sink.

"Uh, honey, I don't see it." He lied, smirking. She sighed, "I guess I'll have to look for it."

Lori sighed, "I guess I'll have to look for it."

Stepping forward so that she could poke her head through the curtain, enough to let her see, she smiled when she saw Rick was washing his face. As usual. She giggled, causing him to turn around. The second he did, she backed up into the shower.

"You're such a tease, you know that?" he muttered, setting the washcloth on the rack just above the toilet. She grinned, "I know."

She grinned, "I know."

Rick almost had to laugh; the innocence within her tone was so contradictory to her actions as of late, that it almost a paradox. As he opens the medicine cabinet to grab a bottle of aftershave, his eyes linger on the mirror. Did the curtain just move? He shakes his head, he must be seeing things. As he closes the medicine cabinet, he smiles. It wasn't just his imagination, because he's just seen the quick flash of skin as his wife's leg and head are sticking out from behind the curtain, her manicured hands clutching the towel rack for support. He knows she's looking for the brush. He takes it in one of his hands, and turned to face her, holding it behind his back.

"Rick….it should be here. Where's my brush?" she asks softly, smiling, trying to get him to cave. He shakes his head, "Dunno. You gonna look for it?"

She raises an eyebrow, "You're hiding something, baby…"

"You mean this?" he asks, holding the brush above his head.

"Yes that!" She squeaks, climbing out of the shower, standing on her tiptoes, reaching for the brush.

"Well you're not getting it…" he teases, holding it even higher as she jumps for it. He smiles, she doesn't realize she's turning him on, the way she's pressing him against the sink, the way her breasts are bobbing in the slightest sexiest way. He can feel his body temp going up, but he remembers there's a time and place for acting on desire.

"B-But baby! My hair!" she complains, grinning, still reaching for it. He rolls his eyes, "Still not getting it." He looks down at her and kisses her forehead, then realizes that those beautiful icy blue eyes are pouting.

"Oh fine…" he says, lowering his hand to give her the brush. The minute she grabs for it, he kisses her full on the lips. He smiles into the kiss when he hears her whine. The brush had been in her hand, but she dropped it, choosing instead to wrap both of her arms around Rick's neck and stand back up on her tiptoes, allowing him to kiss her deeper. As he pulls away, she scowls.

"I thought you wanted to fix your hair." He stated, absentmindedly letting a low growl escaped the back of his throat, as he realized her delicate fingers were tracing his pecks.

"It can wait." She replied, looking up at him before hungrily kissing up his neck, causing him to smile. He picks her up, and she whines, as he sets her back in the shower.

"But Rick!" She protests. She hears him laugh, "Don't worry….I'll be in in like two seconds, just have to get my jeans off…"

Lori sighs, "Hurry up already. I don't like wa- mmhhmmm…." She moans, feeling Rick work the brushing through her soaking wet brown curls. As soon as he's done, she turns to look at him.

He was still in his boxers.

"You can take those off, you know…" she complained, obviously trying to give a hint.

"I know, but remember what happened last time?"

"Oh….right."

The last time she and Rick had taken a shower together like this, she was only trying to relax. Long story short, they ended up having sex.

"You'd better not…" Rick laughed, "Thought so."

Lori reached for the shaving cream, her legs were getting prickly, and she didn't like the feeling. As she leaned down to get it, she felt arms around her waist, holding her in an undeniable sexy way. As she uncapped it and rubbed a bit on her leg, she rolled her eyes, one hand reaching under the showerhead. Cupping her hand and letting it fill with water, she grinned as she flicked it at Rick.

"I just want to say I know you're going to shave. You don't need to, you're perfectly sexy just the way you are," he murmured, kissing her shoulder blade. She sighed, and set her foot up on the faucet that dispelled bathwater. As she reached for the razor, she felt a hand cover hers.

"Rick, I don't mess with you while you're shaving, I'd appreciate if you wouldn't mess with me."

"I'm not gonna mess with you, I promise." He said, kissing her neck, grabbing the razor from her hand. She sighed in defeat, "You better mean that."

He grinned, one of the hands around her waist adjusting the way he was holding her, the hand that held the razor gently setting it against her silky pale skin. As the hand around her waist began to trace small circles on her side with his fingertips, she smiled. She sighed in content as she felt the other hand with the razor begin to gently run up the side of her leg in soft strokes; she knew he'd be careful not to hurt her.

She leaned her head back into his shoulder, her brown hair falling on him, causing a wave of Goosebumps to appear on his skin. He smiled, "Easy girl, just relax...I've got this…" he reassured her. Lori smiled, it was true. She needed to relax, and surprisingly, Rick knew he was doing. As she closed her eyes and let the sound of Rick humming take her away, she could think of no better way to spend the morning.


	2. Awake and Unafraid, Asleep or Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *A/N: Hey all. It's Lady Beckett here, and after the end of 3x04, I just couldn't believe they'd kill Lori, so I went and looked for stories about her. Once there, I found PrintDust. One story, called 'Faulty Benevolence' is just amazing, I suggest you read it. Being so, it inspired me to write this.I hope you all enjoy this. Reviews and feedback are much appreciated. Thanks. On a side note, the lyrics that inspired this intro are from Fall Out Boy's Bang The Doldrums.

"The tombstones were waiting They were half-engraved  
They knew it was over, Just didn't know the date..."

He sighs, having watched what's just folded out before him, and blinks, the ghosts of tears leaving his deep brown eyes. All things considered, he never dreamed she'd go the way she had. Sure, mothers have that primordial instinct to protect their young, but when it was at the cost of their lives? He couldn't understand it.

Just like the way the others had fought so hard to look for the girl that had gone missin' at the old farm, but now here she was, perfectly fine and actin' as an typical eight year old would.

"Sophia! Go tell Dale an' Jacqui we're gonna need a few more rooms set up!" he called to the strawberry blonde as she ran towards him, a small black electronic device in her hands, a gigantic smile on her face.

"I will...but I wanna know, can I keep this?" She asked, holding up what he recognized as an Ipod nano, a reminder that their lives had once been peaceful, one could plug in headphones and slip away, not having to worry about walkers or survival.

'Not that I need to worry about any of that anyways,' Shane Walsh thought, looking toward the farmhouse that had became the group's home after their time on the walker-infested land had ended.

Because every one of them was going to die eventually, so they'd all be reunited here again, a group once broken by betrayal and indecisiveness now made stronger be the finality of death and the reassurance of a stress free eternity. And as he looked at the screen of the IPod, it displayed lyrics, and that's when he remembered everything worked here, there was hot water and comfy beds and even beer to drink if you wanted it.

As he read the lyrics, he realized it would only be a matter of time until everyone would be together again. He just hoped when he saw Rick again that his high school best friend would understand, because as it was, Shane had a lot of explaining to do. But then again, Shane wasn't sure who he was more anxious about meeting in this current state of utopia; his best friend, or the woman whose death he had indirectly caused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sits up, and she's alone. Nothing hurts, and for once she feels at peace. She's not hungry, not…anything.

The field she lays in is covered in soft downy green grass, it's like springtime again. If she listens hard enough, she can hear a robin singing.

Lori tenderly places a hand on her stomach, wondering why she feels no pain, before sliding a hand up her shirt; her fingers graze lightly against her skin.

The cut is not there from Maggie's impromptu c-section, it's as if she was never pregnant.

Lori smiles sadly as she realizes where she is, the first time in a long time feeling calm, there was nothing to worry about here.

She stands, attention fixating on the farm looming a little ways away.

If this was Heaven, why did everything seem all too familiar? It was like Herschel's farm.

Maybe that was because it had been then first place the group had truly felt safe, had found a temporary home despite the world being in chaos around them.

Before then group folded in on itself and the secrets came out, the bonds broken.

She winced at the memory as she recalled Rick telling her he'd killed Shane. Although Rick had been then one to kill Shane, Lori couldn't help but feel the death had been her fault.

She stumbles for a few steps before she breaks into a light jog, finding renewed strength in this land of perpetual bliss.

Her thoughts drift to the others that had gone before her – Jacqui, Amy, Dale, Jim, Sophia. Dr. Jenner. Otis. Patricia. And lastly, Shane.

If this was their forever, would they all meet somehow?

Lori's green eyes widen at the sight of a familiar figure pacing the porch, baseball cap on his head, wearing tan cargos and a grey short sleeve t-shirt.

Her breath catches as he whistles a tune, turning back to face her, stopping mid-pace, noticing her presence.

"L-Lori?"

It seems like forever since the last time he said her name, the emotion behind it making her realize just how long he's waited for this moment.

As he sees her, not even a sarcastic greeting can pass his lips. Without a second thought, Shane takes two long strides off the porch to stand in front of her, one hand cupping Lori's cheek, desperate to make sure it's really her.

And before she can realize what's happened, it's like the camp on the edge of the Georgia highway.

One. Two. Three.

He counts the seconds that pass in Lori's confused gaze before he leans in, his lips lightly capturing her own.

Lori is too stunned to even react the way she should have, she's too overwhelmed by the realization that he knows it's his fault she's here. Too overwhelmed by what she's left behind, Rick, Carl…the baby she didn't even get to see.

But somehow, she can't even find the will to be angry at the man in front of her, all she wants is to know if things have gotten better and if everyone she thinks is here really is, if-

She's thinking too much.

Pulling away from the kiss, she manages a smile.

"Explain. We're dead, that I know, but-"

"I missed you, more than ya'd ever believe." He adds quickly, voice tinged with relief and something else she can't figure out.

She nods, before walking past him, intending to head for the house. She ignores Shane as he calls for her, she needed time to think, process what had happened.

Him kissing her upon seeing her wasn't going to help any – his desire for her hadn't burned out any, no matter if she was alive or dead.

Lori leaned against the door to the living room, sighing, 'Even in the afterlife, things are complicated.'


	3. Don't Kiss Me Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I was reading a bunch of other Walking Dead stories, and leaving reviews. This led me to talking with the talented BatmanFangirl316. She is writing a Lori centric story about her debate between Shane and Rick, and I suggest you read it. But now we're working together on a four-shot set before (parts one, two) and both after (three and four) the Apocalypse.

"Carl, put your napkin on your lap," Lori reminded her son.

"Sorry Mom," he replied, and did as he was told.

"Lori, I am just blown away with how well your boy behaves," Shane noted. Lori smiled back across the table.

"Thanks, Shane. I'm just glad you could join us for dinner."

It seemed that Shane had become part of the family. Rick was always inviting him over after work, not only because Rick enjoyed his company, but he also felt bad since Shane had no one to go home to.

"Shane just know that you can come over any time, our house is your house," Rick added. Shane just nodded slightly and scooped more corn into his mouth.

"So, how was your day Lori?" RIck asked her. Oh greatLori thought, another one of his "inspections".Lori knew that whenever Rick asked how her day was there would always be some complaint or something she forgot to do.

"It was pretty busy, I've gotta tell ya. I've packed up most of Carl's room and our bathroom, and moved the rest of the boxes of living room items to the new house."

"Did you start packing my study?" Rick asked her. She paused for a moment.

"No, not yet, like I said it's been a pretty busy day." Rick rolled his eyes from across the table, "Well someone needs to do it, Lori. My days are twice as busy, I'm always out there-"

"Don't sweat it Rick, I'll help Lori move tomorrow." Shane interrupted Rick before he got too passionate in his rant. Lori glanced up at him, "Shane, honey, it's fine."

"No, no, I wanna help. It's the least I can do after all the times you've opened up y'all's home to me."

"You're not comin' in tomorrow Shane?" Rick asked.

"On leave for two days this week," Shane responded, "I think Seth's got my shift." The conversation between Shane and Rick continued through the dinner, leaving Lori and Carl to just listen, which they didn't mind. Sometimes, though, Lori noticed Shane quickly glancing at her while he talked to Rick and looking away.

When dinner was finished, Lori and Rick took the plates into the kitchen. "Thanks for dinner, Lori," Rick told her, putting one plate in the sink and kissing her firmly and quickly on the forehead.

"No problem sweetheart, I'm just glad you enjoyed it." She paused for more words to say. She and Rick had seemed distant for about a year now, and she wanted to bridge the gap.

"You know I was thinkin' that maybe we could take Carl to the zoo this weekend, it would be really good for-" she turned around to meet Rick's eyes, when she discovered their absence. She heard Rick yawn and turn on the TV in the bedroom.

She finished her sentence.  
"Us."

"Need help with that?" Lori turned to look over the large box she was carrying to the garage at Shane.

"Nah, I've got it," she replied with a grin, "Thank ya though, Shane."

Shane responded by nodding his head slightly and smiling.

"Sure thing. So how are things with you and Rick?"

Lori set down the box and walked back into the study to start packing another one. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, he told me about Val," he replied. "So when you guys talked things out, how have things...you know...been since then?"

Lori stopped in her tracks, pausing not only her body but parts of her mind as she questioned, "Val?"

Shane breathed out sharply, but quiet enough for only him to take notice. "Wait...Rick didn't tell you?"

Lori put her hand against a chair wrapped in plastic for support, and almost instantly Shane grabbed her, firmly yet gently.

"Hey, hey, hey, relax. It's not like they slept together or anything. Val, our forensics investigator just got a little drunk at the unit Christmas party, you know how she gets and Rick did too so they just, they just made out...a little...It was one time...Lori, I'm sorry, he told me he told you..."

Lori seemed to shake off the thought and continued packing up boxes.

"It's in the past."

Shane seemed shocked, "That's it?"

"Well what do you want me to do, Shane? Leave him?"

Shane didn't know how to respond. So he took his time and told her, "I think there are better men out there for you."

"Lori! Carl! You two alright?" Shane called, bounding in the already open door to see a large box resting on the middle of the kitchen table, Lori flitting back and forth, dropping this and that into the box while Carl ran in and out of the room, grabbing his own things.

"We're about as good as we can be...We're headin' to my parents, everythin' should be fine there." She replied, setting another photo album down in the box.

"Photo albums, Lori? Shouldn't ya be packin' like...food? Clothes? Weapons?" Shane suggested.

Lori only glared, "It's not that bad, hon'. There's only like a few reports out...it's not the end of the world."

Shane shook his head, "Then why is everybody leavin' in a huff? It's mass hysteria out there."

Lori shrugged, "People are crazy. Look, if you're here..."

"I just want to help keep you an' Carl safe. Rick's in the hospital, that's safe the way it is. He's probably dead by now, or them helicopters lifted him to Atlanta..." at the mention of 'he's probably dead by now' Lori's face contorted momentarily into something...but Shane almost thought he saw...hope.

"If you're comin' with us, take this out to the car," She said, handing him the box she'd filled with photo albums and such.

"Will do. Carl, c'mon buddy, let's let your mom finish up packin'." Shane called, just as the eight year old followed him outside.

The Georgia air was warm, although there was a sense of panic in the air.

No-one knew how the world had changed; only that it had made bonds between friends tighter in its wake.

A few days passed. Shane, Lori and Carl managed out make it just to the outskirts of Atlanta with a few another survivors, having set up a small camp.

Along the way, things had changed between Shane and Lori. It seemed that day he helped her pack Rick's study had affected her, and she wanted….no, that wasn't the right word. Lori…seemed to know how Shane had been feeling. No, that wasn't it either. Ethier way, whatever he called it, Shane knew he'd tapped into her hidden reserve, that side she had only shown to Rick before. It was the side that knew what she wanted, and how to get it.

Lori knew just what buttons to press, just what looks to give Shane that would lead to him chasing after her like a dog on a lead chasing after a bird, only being able to run to the end of the chain and bark.

Except for the few times he was able to catch her off guard, and in turn satisfy both of their seemingly endless desires.

Shane knew it was wrong, to be holding Lori like he was, kissing her the way he did, but nothing had ever felt so right. The way she moaned his name as they were tangled up against each other, alone in the forest...he knew she needed him, knew that he was better for her than Rick.

Come to think of it, she'd hadn't talked about him lately. Perhaps because she too knew what she was doing was wrong, and didn't want to make anything awkward.

Or perhaps she realized being wrong meant being right.

Because honestly….who ever thinks about falling in love?

Hell. If there ever was a word to describe the seemingly un-describable torrent of emotions Shane felt as he watched Lori embrace Rick upon his return, that word was it. Hell.

To think just that morning, he had snuck up on her and scared her, and then...well, things went from there. Shane hadn't needed to talk her into anything, Lori had known full well what he wanted, and complied.

And now, as he stood off to the side, watching his lover embrace the man that had wore the ring around her neck that morning, Shane couldn't help but feel...out of place.

And the next day, Shane had taken Carl down to the quarry to go frog catching, hoping to get enough to make frog legs for dinner. Lori had walked down as well, telling Carl to head back up to camp so she and Shane could talk.

"No, no, that's over too, you can tell that to the frogs."

"Lori look, I don't know how it appears to you-" Shane began to say.

"How it appears it me? I'm sorry, is there a grey area here? Let me dispel it. From now on you stay away from me, you stay away from my son. You don't look at him, you don't talk to now on my family is off limits to you."

"Lori, I don't think that's fair, I just don't think-" Shane started, but was interrupted.

"Shane, shut up! Don't! My husband is back, he is alive!"

"He's my best friend, you don't think I'm happy about that?"

"How dare you! How could you be? You're the one that told me he died!"

She glares at him, before adding a "You son of a bitch," before walking away.

And then, as Lori walked away, Shane realized what had just happened. She'd confirmed her love for Rick point-blank over whatever she felt for Shane.

Shane seethed, wanting, wishing Rick hadn't come back. He and Lori were perfectly happy before Rick had arrived, and Shane was determined to stay that way.

But of course nothing ever stays the same. How was it supposed to, when everything you knew could change in the blink of an eye?

Needless to say, the relationship grew complicated, Lori drawn into the middle of a fight, having to choose. She didn't know whether to go with her husband, who although was back, she couldn't shake the memories of their bad times, how their marriage had started falling apart before their very eyes...and then there was Shane, who seemed to having an irrevocable longing for her that would never cease.

What was she to do?

Things only grew worse as she learned she was pregnant, and she became almost positive the baby was Shane's, although she had decided when it was born it was to be raised by her and Rick alone.

This in turn only served to ignite what would turn Shane into a loose cannon, and by two weeks later his rational had taken a turn for the worse.

After killing Randall, and then confronting Rick, Shane started the fire he'd never be able to put out, all because his lust and desire for Lori had forever clouded his vision.

"It ain't gonna be easy, but Lori and Carl, they'll get over you. They've done it before. They just gonna have to-"

"Why? Why now? I thought we worked this all out!"

"We gotta kill each other man! What you think we just gonna forget about it all an' ride off into the sunset together? You gonna kill me in cold blood?"

"Screw my wife and my children. My children, callin' you 'daddy' is that what you want? Then life won't be worth a damn, I know you, you won't be able to live with this." Rick countered.

"What you know about what I can live with? You got no idea what I can live with, what I'll live with. We talk about what I can do, Rick, how 'bout what you can do? Here I am, man, come on man, raise your gun." Shane taunted; Rick's previous comment only adding fuel to the fire.

"No, no I will not."

"What happened Rick, I thought you weren't the good guy anymore, ain't that what you said? You right here right now ain't gonna fight for 'em? I'm a better father then you, Rick! I'm better for Lori then you man, 'cause I'm a better man, Rick, 'cause I'll be here an' I'll fight for her. But you come back here and you just DESTROY EVERYTHING! You got a broken woman, you got a weak boy. You ain't got first clue on how to fix it. Raise your gun!"

Rick raised his arms in an 'I-surrender' motion, "Well, then you're gonna have to kill an unarmed man."

Shane wanted so badly to shoot Rick, but in the end listened as Rick pleaded for Shane to lower his gun. As he did this, Rick lunged forward and stabbed Shane, fatally wounding him.

In the end it was his desire for love that killed him, although this too affected Lori.

After the walker invasion of Herschel's farm, the group reconvened on the highway.

Rick had been talking to Lori, Shane had been brought up.

"I killed him." Rick admitted, not noticing the anger in Lori's eyes.

As he went to hold her, reassure her everything would be okay, to his surprise she backed away, swatted at his arms.

Lori was lost in thought.

By egging Shane on to confront Rick, and telling Rick that she thought Shane was delusional, had she brought on the end of the man she'd truly wanted to be with?

Lori hadn't wanted Rick when he came back, but she'd had to have pretended things were fine. So she pushed Shane away, only making him want her more.

But now, as she sat beside the dying fire, she realized something.

Her and Rick's marriage had been doomed from the start. Shane had always been there for her, but he wasn't now. Because of her mistakes. All those nights in Georgia, spent with him? Nothing but a memory, now. Memories she could cherish for a lifetime.

One night and one more time Thanks for the memories  
Even though they weren't so great; "He tastes like you, only sweeter"!


End file.
